Most commercial cleaning/detergent formulations are designed to efficiently clean either industrial, domestic and/or communal hard surfaces, soft surfaces, including all natural, organic, synthetic and blended fibers, or organic surfaces including, but not limited to, human skin and hair and animal skin and hair, but not all three. Compositions, formulations and solutions known in the art generally comprise a solution of surfactants having various ionic charges, in particular surfactants that are non-ionic, anionic, cationic, or amphoteric in nature, acids, caustics, solvents, penetrating agents, oils, and/or alcohols. Many of these formulations are harsh, however, and are not naturally occurring.
Other detergent/cleaner formulations known in the art include linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LASs), e.g., sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, 2-butoxyethanol, chlorine bleach (e.g., sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)), and other synthetic or manmade chemicals, such as glycols and non-natural surfactants and ammonia, many of which are toxic and damaging to the environment. In cases of intensive prolonged exposure, such chemicals can be toxic to those using the compositions for cleaning. Over time, the toxic effects of such compositions have become more widely known, and it has become desirable to attempt to avoid exposure to such toxic materials. Experience has shown, however, that existing compositions employing toxic materials provide the best cleaning/detergency action.